Patrick Reed is trying to maintain status on the PGA Tour and European Tour this year, and he's made an earnest effort to spend time on both circuits, including playing in the European Masters and Hong Kong Open. He's in this week's BMW Masters and will be in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
However, if you add up all the co-sanctioned and European Tour events Reed has played in 2015 and still intends to play, the total is 12. That's one short of the minimum 13 events members are required to play to maintain their status. So, Reed is going to lose his status, right?
Well, no. As it turns out, the Presidents Cup counts toward European Tour membership. That's his 13th event.
@golfcentraldoc Presidents Cup is a counting event.
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 12, 2015
In one sense, that makes no sense. After all, European-born players don't compete in the event, and, unlike the Ryder Cup, the European Tour doesn't own a stake in the competition. However, many players that compete on the International team in the biennial competition are European Tour members, so it does make sense for it to count. And if it counts for any European Tour member, regardless of where they're born, then Reed benefits, too.
